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2013 OHSE2740 EOHS MANAGEMENT ASSIGNMENT BOOKLET Page 1

The University of Newcastle CRICOS provider number 00709J

Faculty of Health and Medicine School of Health Sciences Assignment Booklet

OHSE2740 – EOHS MANAGEMENT – 10 units Trimester 3 -‐ 2014 (PSB Campus,. Singapore) – UoN Singapore Location of Offices and Staff Course Coordinator Adelle Liebenberg , School of Health Sciences,

The University of Newcastle, Australia Tele:+ 61 2 4961 6715 Email: [email protected]

Teaching Staff Yeo Beng Wah Email: [email protected]

Singapore Program Queries

Log your question or request at the following website: http://psb-‐academy.force.com/case/CM_LogCaseForm

Australia School Office Contact

Ashley Gleeson Hunter Building, The University of Newcastle University Drive, CALLAGHAN NSW 2308 Email: [email protected]

ASSIGNMENT 1: ACADEMIC ESSAY Aims and Objectives The essay aims to develop students’ research and analytical abilities. It also assesses students’ understanding of theory, concepts and issues articulated within the course framework. The essay is worth 30% of the available marks for the course.

Essay Topic Students are required to read ahead and submit an essay (1500 words excluding references) on below. Students are expected to draw on relevant theories and examples from organisations or their own experience. They can also devise hypothetical examples if it helps to illustrate points. Please refer to the essay-‐marking guide contained in this Appendix for essay criteria details. Compare and contrast two theories of motivation. Are financial rewards still the best motivator of human beings at work? OR “Our behaviour as individuals is influenced more by the groups to which we belong than any other factor”. Critically evaluate this statement and explain whether or not you agree and why?

Essay Requirements General • Use a 12 point font and double-‐line or 1.5 spacing.

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• Provide a generous margin for comments and a word count at end of the essay. • Please submit your assignment via Turnitin via the Blackboard site for this course and a hard copy to be

dropped at PSB collection box. • Number every page. • If your lecturer asks for a hard-‐copy, please do not use folders or plastic packets. These will not add to

your marks, they will be discarded and are hence a waste of your money. • Contain a list of references, cited correctly and consistently. A reference is a book or article that has

been referred to in the essay. DO NOT provide a bibliography – that is a list of readings which have not been referred to in the essay.

• Information that is not vital to the essay discussion/argument should be put into an Appendix at the end of the essay. Marks will be deducted for irrelevant information – for example: graphs, tables, pictures, etc. – that is included in the essay body but which is not essential to the essay but simply additional or interesting information which belongs in an Appendix.

• It is required that each essay will directly source at least two journal articles as references. It is expected that students will expand on information provided in the text and not simply rehash what is already there.

• DO NOT rely on non-‐academic journals/magazines, etc. (Eg. Business Review Weekly). Although they may be relevant and used effectively to obtain organisational examples, they will not be considered as part of your minimum requirement of two academic journal articles.

• Web references may be used as long as they are academic articles and not, for example, one person’s/organisation’s viewpoint.

Results Results will fall into one of five categories: High Distinction (85-‐100%). Excellent: Answers all aspects of question. Tight sustained arguments. Clear understanding of theory, concepts and issues. Logically consistent analysis well articulated within the analytic framework presented in the course. Clear identification of and focus on the most critical aspects of the situation being analysed. Synthesis (if called for) carefully reflects results of key analyses presented. Well-‐structured discussion, carefully written, adequately documented, persuasively argued, with effective selection and presentation of supporting data. Appropriate reference to relevant course materials (and an absence of references not clearly relevant to issue being discussed). Distinction (5-‐84%). Answers all aspects of the question. Analysis developed within the analytic framework presented in the course. Good identification and discussion of critical issues. Synthesis (if any) based on analyses presented. Organisation of discussion is clear, argument is persuasive, documentation and supporting data are appropriate to discussion. Referencing is accurate and appropriate. Credit (65-‐74%). Answers most aspects of the question. Analysis invokes analytic framework developed in the course, but with some conceptual errors or shortcoming. Critical aspects of situation are addressed, but not clearly identified as such. Synthesis is related to analyses, but logical gaps between analysis and synthesis are evident. Discussion is comprehensible and internally consistent, but not persuasive. Referencing is adequate. Pass (50-‐63%). Adequate structures. Descriptive rather than analytical. Analysis shows limited knowledge of analytical framework developed in the course. Limited but adequate reference and sourcing. Arguments weak but shows understanding of issues involved. Fail (< 49%). Analysis misapplies analytic framework developed in course or unrelated to course framework. Critical aspects of situation are not adequately addressed or identified. Synthesis has little or no relation to analyses.

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Discussion is hard to follow, internally inconsistent, and not at all persuasive. Shows little or no evidence of understanding of concepts covered in the course.

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Assessment Criteria The following form will be completed in detail and used to give you feedback on the assessment criteria. Name:

Student Number:

Criteria Assessor Rating and Comments Mark

Introduction Overview of issues: Excellent Very Good Good Average Needs Development Poor Statement of purpose of the research: Excellent Very Good Good Average Needs Development Poor Able to hold reader interest:: Excellent Very Good Good Average Needs Development Poor

Content: Demonstrates an understanding of the question requirements: Excellent Very Good Good Average Needs Development Poor Logical development of arguments: Excellent Very Good Good Average Needs Development Poor Able to critically discuss the paper theme: Excellent Very Good Good Average Needs Development Poor A clear ability to identify the implications of the literature: Excellent Very Good Good Average Needs Development Poor Use of multiple sources: Excellent Very Good Good Average Needs Development Poor Use of examples: Excellent Very Good Good Average Needs Development Poor Writer's own ideas: Excellent Very Good Good Average Needs Development Poor

/15

Conclusions Paper well-summarised: Excellent Very Good Good Average Needs Development Poor Conclusions Justified: Excellent Very Good Good Average Needs Development Poor Able to hold reader interest: Excellent Very Good Good Average Needs Development Poor

Professionalism Presented in well-thought out, consistent, readable form and structure: Excellent Very Good Good Average Needs Development Poor Referencing and reference list consistent: Excellent Very Good Good Average Needs Development Poor Appropriate Length: Excellent Very Good Good Average Needs Development Poor

Total

/30

General Comments:

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Assignment 2: CASE STUDY REPORT Due Date: Refer to Course Outline

Maximum Length: 2500 words

Assessment Value: 30%

1. Aims & Objectives The case study aims to assess your ability to systematically analyse, and help solve a real-‐world management problem within a team environment. Ultimately, the purpose is to identify the most critical issues in the case and recommend appropriate actions to deal with them. Case answers should integrate a number of topics covered throughout the course. This assignment will be based on the case study ‘24JAM’ at pages 18 to 19. Team size will be 4-‐5 people, depending on the number of students in the class. The length of case report should not exceed 2500 words.

2. Case Study Skills Case learning demands more intensive involvement by the student than other forms of learning. It also requires interaction with other students when cases are studied on a group basis. This helps develop the vital skills of communication and perception, and enable the student to experience, first hand, the problems that may arise in a group situation. A student who has developed good case study skills is in a better position to systematically analyse, and perhaps solve, real-‐world problems. After all, a case is usually based on an actual business situation. No answers are provided. It is true that the same pressures do not exist in the classroom situation as in the work place, but the tutor or lecturer can make the situation more realistic by placing time constraints on students or perhaps even role-‐playing the part of the boss who wants accurate and positive results. Analytical skills are needed to extract all pertinent information from a case. Such skills enable the student to isolate concepts which can be applied universally, thus greater thoroughness and consistency are achieved. If the student is systematic in analysing the case, he or she will soon be able to make comparisons with other cases. Acquiring these skills enables the student to recognise the sorts of things he or she is looking for at the outset, and to quickly discard irrelevancies. Acquisition of common skills also improves communication between students, and enables them to work together better on a group basis. Analysing cases, then communicating and defending one’s conclusions is a difficult exercise, however, with practice these skills can be acquired.

2.1 Stages of Studying a Case Stage 1 Quickly peruse the general scenario presented, to gain a general impression of the situation. It is

often useful, at this stage, to underline, highlight or annotate pieces of information which may indicate that problems exist, for example, a statement indicating that a firm is experiencing high labour turnover or staff unrest.

Stage 2 Read the case again thoroughly, perhaps several times. Look for evidence which will enable you to answer the questions.

Stage 3 Plan your answer. Here are some useful guidelines for this stage: • You must be able to cite evidence from the case to support your arguments and

recommendations. Evidence may consist of facts, figures where relevant, statements made, and views expressed by the characters in the case.

• It is legitimate to draw inferences about matters which are not explicitly stated. However, you should always be able to justify such inferences. There may be a fine line between drawing an inference and engaging in 'flights of fantasy' of your own, which are not permissible. Remember in the 'real world' such inferences should be confirmed before actions are taken, perhaps inappropriately.

• In your answers, you should apply your knowledge of theories, gained from your study of management & organisational behaviour, to the evidence which you have assembled. Your ultimate goal is to make some concrete and practical recommendations to management.

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Vague conclusions, such as 'the jobs of the workers have to be enriched', or 'Fred has to change his leadership style', are not sufficient, as it is not setting out a course of action.

Stage 4 Generate your final answer. While you may quote from statements or opinions expressed in the case, be selective. Do not simply paraphrase what you read in the case. This approach will not provide a satisfactory answer. Try to express your ideas in your own words, and to address the issues in a concise and relevant manner.

2.2 Isolating Key Information and Reading for Understanding Without oversimplifying the issue, isolating key information is basically a matter of looking for it, provided you have done the necessary preparation. If a piece of information does not relate to any of the issues you are looking at, then the information should be discarded. It is important to remember, however, that in analysing a case study, you may identify different issues after reading the case several times and often do. Thus, information that may not have related to the originally identified issue may be seen subsequently to be very relevant. This is another reason why a case will require a number of readings, until all the key information has been identified. Some cases begin with relatively long-‐winded description of the company's history. Although this information is interesting and may provide some insight into the company's values and past performance, you should not fall into the trap of spending too much time trying to analyse past information that may not be relevant to the problems faced by the company in the present environment. The importance of such introductory information will, of course, depend on the instructions attached to the case. In ensuring that you have identified the key issues, it is often a useful technique to try to state, in your own words, what the problem seems to be. If you find after one reading, that you cannot do this, you may need another reading.

2.3 Appraising and Evaluating Facts and Opinions One of the best ways to appraise facts and opinions given in a case is to represent them, where appropriate, on a chart, diagram or table. For example, you can appraise the structure of an organisation much more easily through an organisational chart than in a written description of the organisation's structure. This enables the reader to see at a glance the hierarchy of control in the organisation, the span of control of each manager, the full range of departments in the organisation and their interrelationships, and potential problem areas, which may exist in the structure. What happens, however, if facts and opinions conflict with each other? Obviously, you must decide which one to accept. Often a case study suggests a number of alternative proposals and you must recommend one. In situations such as these, it is often important to look back and see whether the objectives of the organisation have been stated. Where this is the case, the objectives will often provide the best guidance as to which course you should adopt. You must be careful in appraising facts and opinions. Facts can be distorted if they are not placed in the context of other environmental factors such as economic conditions, competition, availability of supplies, and the strengths and weaknesses of the market. Furthermore, facts which appear impressive on the surface can be deceptive. For example, the case may state that company X is proud to be market leader with 55 per cent market share and a sales growth of 5 per cent in the past year. However, what if the previous years market share was 65 per cent and the industry sales growth was 10 per cent? This would put a completely different perspective on the company's performance. Opinions expressed by characters in the case can also be deceptive if they are not analysed carefully. In some cases, you need to be perceptive and be able to determine in whose interest the case is written. Obviously, you should be wary if it appears that the case writer had a vested interest in writing the case. For example, a senior manager would most likely take a very different view of an industrial relations issue than a union official.

2.4 Not Accepting Everything at Face Value A common mistake made by students is to accept everything that is contained in a case as gospel, and to agree with any conclusions stated by particular characters in the case. An essential step of studying cases,

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therefore, is that you do not always accept things at face value, but rather you should question facts and statements made and form you own opinion as to their validity and the conclusions to be drawn from them. Not accepting statements and opinions expressed in the case automatically, is an essential step to cultivating a questioning frame of mind. As has been suggested above, statements made by people portrayed in a case are often a reflection of the interests of the area of their company.

Assessment Criteria: Group Report

Case Study Feedback Sheet Criteria Comments Mark Executive Summary: Overview of background to the case, aim, analysis and recommendations.

Problems / Issues: Identification of key problems/issues; synthesis of issues; linkage between problems/issues; provision of examples from the case to support arguments; justification of answer.

/7.5

Theories / Concepts / Models: Identification of relevant theories/concepts/models that assist in understanding the case; use of examples or quotes from the case that link with chosen theories.

/10

Recommendations: Recommendations for improvement; rationale for recommendations; demonstration of problem solving ability; practicality of implementation plan; a discussion of resources, time, people responsible to undertake plan and action.

/7.5

Professionalism: Presented in well-‐thought out, readable form; structure; consistency between sections; length; appendices.

Signed: Total: /30

3. Format of the Case Study Answer Put yourself in the role of a consultant who has been asked to make an initial report on the organisation. This means that you could put the solutions and implementation plan into place if your report seems to adequately address the problems and suggest workable solutions. Write the answer as if it is to be presented to the organisation’s board of directors (or equivalent). The Case Study answer must: • Be submitted via Turnitin accessed through the Blackboard site for this course plus a hard copy per

group dropped into the PSB assignment collection box. • Be typed in 12 size font • Have a 3 cm margin on the left and a 3 cm margin on the right • Be numbered on each page • Provide proper referencing

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• Have headings throughout the report. • Use third person tenses – ie ‘it appears that’ rather than “I think/we think” or “it is suggested” rather

than “I/We recommend” Also • Try to focus on the issues as well as the people in the case. A lot of issues are linked with a manager but

the point of case study analysis (as with any ‘real’ organisation) is to put strategies into place that underpin the success of the organisation.

Your report should contain the following: • A title page; • An Executive Summary (1 page maximum). The Executive Summary gives an overview of the background,

analysis and recommendations; • An analysis of the case in the context of the key Management & OB issues/problems. This should include

a justification of why you believe these are important issues or problems; • A discussion of related Management & OB theories, concepts, models that help understand the case.

Responses should briefly outline the theories/concepts chosen and relate them back to the case (ie. why and how are they relevant?). Examples or quotes from the case should link well with the theories chosen;

• Recommendations for improvement. What are the objectives for resolving this case? This discussion should include a rationale for your recommendations, and also how these recommendations may be carried out. Relate these recommendations to your critical analysis. Provide an implementation plan and a timeframe for suggested strategies;

• A reference list; • Appendices (if applicable).

4. Group Results Group members will generally receive the same result for their report. However, marks may be altered for individuals if the Lecturer deems, from group feedback, that those individuals have not made a concerted effort to contribute to the team effort. If a group is experiencing problems, each team member should submit a Group Process form to the Lecturer. This form is on the following two pages.

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5. Group Assessment

REPORT ON GROUP PROCESS & OUTCOME Student Name: Student No. Team: Email. 1. What were the Group's Rules & Strategies 2. Describe the Group Process in Terms of: Frequency of Meeting, Dates of Meeting, Medium of Place, Duration, Attendance, Outcome 3. Roles Played or Work Undertaken by Each Member 4. Problems Experienced 5. General Comments: (Including how you would tackle the case study differently next time.) Signed: Date:

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6. Group Case Study: Individual Contributions Note: Allocate percentages based on your perception of individual contributions to the group effort.

Name Percentage (%) Member 1 Member 2 Member 3 Member 4 Member 5 Member 6

7. Assessment Case and Questions

Case Study (30 Marks)

Netflix: Making Movie Magic How can the most successful video-‐delivery company beat its already unbelievable one-‐day turnaround time? By making a growing portion of its immense catalog available for instant download. Netflix leverages emerging technologies, superior customer service, and an ever-‐growing subscriber base to transform the traditional video-‐ rental model into a 21st-‐century on-‐demand concept.

The Open Secret of Success What’s the most exciting piece of mail you’ve received lately? Ask more than eight million customers in the United States, and they’ll probably reply that it’s a little red-‐and-‐white envelope from Netflix. More than 46,000 DVD titles are in transit on any given day, requiring the company to stock approximately 55 million DVDs to keep up with customer demand. What accounts for Netflix’s success? CEO Reed Hastings believes the key to the sustained growth of the Los Gatos, a Californian company is no secret at all—it thrives because of its renowned customer service. Beating out such heavies as Amazon, Apple, and Target, Netflix was crowned Number One in eight straight e-‐commerce customer satisfaction surveys conducted by ForeSee Results. According to Netflx spokesman Steve Swasey, the company keeps its top place by continuously improving operations—both title selection and customer convenience. Netflix customers have posted more than two billion movie reviews on its Web site to date; an average customer has posted about two hundred. In return, Netflix recommends movies to customers based on their renting habits. About 60% of its members choose new rentals based on these recommendations. To improve the tool used to generate these recommendations, Netflix organized a contest to gather its members’ ideas. The prize: one million dollars. Netflix claims that its members rent twice as many movies as they did before joining the service. Given their recent sales figures, it comes as little surprise. At the end of the most recent fiscal year, net income also grew 6% to finish at $67 million, with a 21% growth in revenue that hit $1.2 billion, defying analysts’ expectations. Netflix recently introduced Instant Viewing, which streams any of 12,000 movies and television shows to customers’ computers. Within thirty seconds of beginning a download, customers can roll the opening credits. Unlike customers at the Apple’s iTunes Store, Netflix customers can wait as long as they want before finishing a streamed movie. Best of all, they don’t have to pay extra—the program is built into every membership plan. “It’s not branded at all,” said Swasey. “It’s just part of the service.” Since opening up the service, Netflix has quadrupled its inventory of streaming content. Taking things a step further—and challenging Apple even more directly— Netflix partnered with the consumer electronics company Roku to produce a palm-‐sized set-‐top box that allows customers to view streamed movies on their televisions by using broadband connections. It’s a logical move, according to David Cohen, executive vice president and U.S. director of digital communications at Interpublic Group’s Universal McCann. “The ability to have thousands, if not millions, of content options delivered to your box is certainly the way of the future,” he said.

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Some customers even help Netflix expand into markets it has overlooked. A few small libraries are quietly using Netflix to expand their interlibrary loan capabilities. Video stores have caught on, too. One discreet Massachusetts store owner claims to rent ten to fifteen Netflix discs a month, which saves him more than $2,000 in yearly inventory expenses. “It’s nice to be able to offer the latest foreign title that no one has heard of,” he said.

Slaying the Dragons Giving customers what they want, Netflix has beaten back competition from some of the biggest names in media. By allowing customers to keep DVDs as long as they like, Netflix undermined the concept of late fees, which had represented a major source of profits for traditional rental companies. And as instant viewing continues to grow in popularity among Netflix customers, the concept is not catching on everywhere — Wal-‐Mart closed the curtains on its own movie download service.

Putting People Up Front So, what does the future hold for Netflix? CEO Reed Hastings makes no bones about the business model: “If one thinks about Netflix as a DVD rental business,” he says, “one is right to be scared; if one thinks of Netflix as an online movie service with multiple different delivery models, then one’s a lot less scared. We’re only now beginning to deliver the proof points behind that second vision.” To deliver on this promise, Hastings is now betting as much on people as on his business vision and high technology.

Perks, compensation, and freedom are mainstays of Netflix’s commitment to hiring and retaining the best people in the industry. When dealing with competitors such as Apple, Blockbuster, and Amazon, a lot is on the line in the wars for talent. As to salaries, Hastings says: “We’re unafraid to pay high.”16 And interestingly, pay isn’t linked with performance in the sense of “merit.” Salaries are pegged to job markets to ensure that Netflix pay is always the best around. If you’re top talent, you get top salary and are given the freedom to put your talents to work making Netflix’s strategy succeed. But if you’re something less than a top performer, say, just “average,” there isn’t room at the company. “At most

Blockbuster Isn’t in Retreat Blockbuster Inc., founded in 1985 and headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is another leading global provider of in-‐home movie and game entertainment, with approximately 8,000 stores throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Australia. The company, once one of the strongest entertainment brands in the world, recently reported worldwide revenues of more than $5.5 billion. Blockbuster has the largest in-‐store presence of any company in the movie rental business, a growing online presence, and the capability—currently, the only one in the marketplace to do so—to integrate the physical storefront with its online presence. It is still growing; its share of the store-‐based rental business continues as a company focus, but Blockbuster is no longer just a chain of video stores. It is an online and an in-‐store retailer, and becoming more integrated every day. Its Blockbuster Total AccessTM movie rental program gives online customers the option of exchanging their DVDs through the mail or returning them to a nearby participating Blockbuster store in exchange for free in-‐store movie rentals. With this total access, customers no longer have to choose between renting online or renting in-‐store, and they never have to be without a movie. As the home entertainment industry has evolved, so, too, has Blockbuster. But has it transformed enough? Blockbuster is facing stiff competition from Netflix on one side and from Redbox on the other. Redbox offers $1 DVD rentals for 24 hours and has more locations than Blockbuster’s costly brick and mortar stores. Named one of the “15 Companies That Might Not Survive 2009” in US News, Blockbuster isn’t giving up yet. Instead, it is inviting consumers to try its service for free, allowing online video game rentals, and offering incentives and deals to drum up business.22 Whatever direction the future of home entertainment takes, Blockbuster believes it has the assets that will enable the company to bridge to the future. Do the facts of the market bear out such optimism?

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companies,” says Hastings, “average performers get an average raise. At Netflix they get a generous severance package.” Netflix not only hires carefully and well, it offers a unique and highly productive work environment rich in features that appeal to today’s high-‐tech and high-‐talent workers. Its human resource plan is as creative as its business model: pay higher-‐than-‐average salaries; let employees choose how much of their compensation is paid in cash and how much in stock options; encourage each employee to recruit three others they would “love” to work with; let employees take as much time off and vacation as they think they need; limit work rules, maximize work freedom, and make everyone responsible for the choices he or she makes. Hastings has a lot riding on his human resource strategy. Does Netflix have the right vision for the future?

Discussion Questions 1. What performance appraisal method would you recommend to make sure that only the “best” are kept on

the Netflix team? 2. What are the limitations and risks of Hastings’ human resource management practices? 3. If Hastings was on the board of a firm such as Procter & Gamble or Home Depot, would his ideas on human

resource management work for them? Why or why not? 4. FURTHER RESEARCH—Check up on Hastings and Netflix. How is the firm doing right now? How has it changed

since the case information was prepared? Are the human resource management practices described here still active at the firm? What else is Netflix doing to create human capital for sustained competitive advantage?

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EXAMINATION DETAILS Examination Date: Refer to Course Outline Assessment Value: 40%

Allocated Time: 2 hours 1. Aims and Objectives To provide an opportunity for students to display integrative knowledge of the course material. The examination will also test students’ critical thinking ability and problem solving skills.

2. Format This examination will consist of two parts: SECTION A Short Answer Questions (10 marks). In this section you will be asked to answer 2 out of 4 questions. Each question is worth 5 marks. There is no “correct” length of answer-‐ some students will write three-‐quarters of an exam page, and some will write two or three pages for each answer. Quality will be rewarded over quantity. Students should try to be critical in their analysis, and not just reiterate textbook material. Each question covers one, two, or more topics in the course. These areas are not necessarily the same as those covered in the practice exam questions. SECTION B Case Study (30 marks). In this section you will be asked to answer all 3 questions in relation to a real-‐life case study. These questions will be the same as those presented in the practice exam case study. This case study is an integrative exercise and is designed to cover many topics presented in the course. Try to relate one problem/issue to others. For example, if you highlight structure as an issue, how does organisational structure affect communication? (This is not necessarily going to be an issue in the exam case). Your exam answer does not need a synopsis or an executive summary. Please put headings throughout your answer to highlight the main areas discussed.

Practice Exam Questions Section 1 Short Answer Questions (10 marks) Answer two questions out of four questions in this section. Each question is worth 5 marks. Question 1 (5 marks): Comment on the accuracy of the following statement: “According to goal setting theory, performance increases with the level of goal difficulty.” Answer Guide: Students should mention the conditions necessary for effective goal setting by managers: one of these is “challenging goals”. Up to a certain point, it is true that performance increases with the level of goal difficulty. Harder goals lead to greater effort and persistence than easier goals. However, employees must accept and preferably be committed to these challenging goals. Without goal acceptance, effort declines significantly, resulting in low performance. (This is similar to expectancy theory where the E-‐to-‐P expectancy declines. The E-‐to-‐P expectancy tends to increase as employees are placed in work environments with favorable situational factors. In other words, they should be given sufficient time, materials, and other resources to accomplish the job and have obstacles removed where possible). Examples would improve student marks here. Question 2 (5 marks):

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The head of emergency services in your city strongly believes that heterogeneous teams are more effective than homogeneous teams. The executive wants to put this belief into practice by frequently rotating ambulance and other emergency service teams so that teams would constantly have new people with diverse backgrounds and experiences. This would be supplemented with a hiring process that deliberately selects people with diverse ethnic, cultural, and educational backgrounds. Using your knowledge of team dynamics, discuss the merits of the executive’s actions in the emergency services agency. Answer Guide: To answer this question well, students should explain that heterogeneous teams have certain advantages. In particular, they are generally more effective than homogeneous teams on complex projects and problems requiring innovative solutions. This is because people from different backgrounds see a problem or opportunity from different perspectives. Heterogeneous team members also solve complex problems more easily because they usually have a broader knowledge base. These attributes may be beneficial to emergency service teams to some extent. However, emergency service teams might also suffer if they are heterogeneous and may be more effective when members are homogeneous. Indeed, emergency response teams may be more effective with homogeneous team members because homogeneous teams tend to be more effective on tasks requiring a high degree of cooperation and coordination. In this example, the constant rotation of employees through various teams indicates that emergency service teams will continually cycle through the team development process and face ongoing intra-‐group conflict. This conflict may undermine service efficiency. Emergency services need to have high performing teams (i.e. have reached the performing stage of team development) so that they coordinate their behaviours smoothly. Otherwise, a patient’s life could be jeopardized. Students, for extra marks, may also describe the stages of team development Eg. Forming. Storming. Norming. Performing and also describe decision-‐making processes / models. The model of team effectiveness is also very relevant here. Question 3 (5 marks): You want production employees at your company to be more motivated to complete their assignments more efficiently. They are confident that they can perform their jobs more efficiently, and the rewards you give employees (pay checks, paid time off, etc.) are valued by these people. Identify the one element of expectancy theory that requires improvement and identify three possible actions that would increase employee motivation through this element. Answer Guide Students should give an overview of expectancy theory. Students then need to answer this question by identifying the element of expectancy theory that requires change. The incident says that employees know they can perform their jobs more efficiently, so they already have a high E-‐to-‐P expectancy. Moreover, employees value the rewards, suggesting that the outcomes have a high valence. This leaves the likelihood that employees have a low P-‐to-‐O expectancy. That is, they perceive a low probability that performing the job more efficiently will lead to desired outcomes. There are several ways to increase the P-‐to-‐O expectancy. The company needs to measure employee performance accurately (in this case, measuring number of units produced per hour, or some other measure of work efficiency). The company needs to tell employees that certain desirable rewards will result from increased work efficiency. P-‐to-‐O expectancy will also increase if the company shows examples of situations where employees receive the desired rewards after they have performed their jobs more efficiently. Moreover, when employees receive their rewards, they should be told how these rewards resulted from past incidents of work efficiency. Students will get additional marks for elaborating on each of these techniques and offering additional examples. Question 4 (5 marks): Marketing specialists at Budding Beer Co. developed a new advertising campaign for summer sales. The ads were particularly aimed at sports events where Budding sold kegs of beer on tap. The marketing groups worked for months with a top advertising firm on the campaign. Their effort was successful in terms of

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significantly higher demand for Budding’s keg beer at sports stadiums. However, the production department had not been notified of the marketing campaign and was not prepared for the increased demand. The company was forced to buy empty kegs at a premium price. It also had to brew some of the lower priced keg beer in vats that would have been used for higher-‐priced specialty beer. The result was that Budding sold more of the lower-‐priced keg beer and less of the higher-‐priced products that summer. Moreover, the company could not initially fill consumer demand for the keg beer, resulting in customer dissatisfaction. Use system theory to explain what has occurred at Budding Beer Co. Answer guide This incident mainly relates to the open systems idea that organisations consist of many interdependent parts. In larger organisations, subsystem interdependence is so complex that an event in one department may ripple through the organisation and affect other subsystems In this case, the marketing group’s advertising campaign had unintended implications for the production group. Marketing’s campaign increased demand for keg beer, which forced production to brew more of the lower-‐priced product rather than the higher-‐priced specialty beer. It was also necessary to keep up with demand by paying premium prices for empty kegs. Students may argue that marketing employees did not notify the production group about its plans. This may be a valid argument in this incident. However, we must keep in mind that employees engage in many activities that have repercussions for others that we would never expect. Moreover, it is possible that production employees could not predict all of the implications of marketing’s campaign even if the production group was notified in advance.